Reuben “Lunar” Stugart stands at the northern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail wearing the Osprey Levity. Reuben “Lunar” Stugart

If you’ve gone backpacking anytime in the last decade you’ve probably noticed that thru hiking backpacks are starting to get small—really small. The 70-liter external-frame packs of yore are quickly going by the wayside in favor of svelte 35-liter frameless (sometimes even hipbelt-less) designs. These packs are allowing backpackers to go farther and faster than even before, but with so many options to choose from, from cottage companies to the likes of Osprey and Hyperlite, it’s hard to know which to pick. To help you select the right pack, we chatted with four thru-hikers that have kicked out a number of major long trails to find out what they started with, and what they are using now. Here are their picks for the best thru hiking backpacks.

• Most Durable: ULA Circuit
• Most Versatile: Six Moons Swift X with Flight Vest Harness
• Best for Sweaty Hikers: Osprey Levity 45
• Best Large Capacity: ULA Catalyst
• Best for Winter: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Headwall
• Best Add-On: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Phone Pouch

How We Selected the Best Thru Hiking Backpacks

For this story, I spoke with four different ultralight backpackers that had hiked over 10,000 miles each. Three of them were triple crowners, having hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. Like with any piece of gear, their selections represent their depth and breadth of experience, but also their own personal preferences and what worked for their body type. Whenever possible, it’s best to try out as many ultralight backpacks as possible before making a final selection (as several individuals I spoke with suggested). Many ultralight backpack manufacturers can be found at long-distance trail events, such as PCT Days and Trail Days.

Best Thru Hiking Backpacks: Reviews & Recommendations

Most Durable: ULA Circuit

Key Features

• Weight: 37.3 ounces
• Max Load: 35 pounds (ULA recommendation); 50 pounds (Outro assessment)
• Total Volume: 68 liters
• Bear Can Compatible: Yes, vertical only
• Also available in Ultra

Pros

• Durable enough for 10,000+ miles
• Great customer service

Cons

• Somewhat heavier than other UL models out there

Lindsay “Outro” Brisko started out with a ULA Circuit on her thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2015, and she was still using it when she wrapped up her hike of the Continental Divide Trail two years later, having hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in between. Then she hiked the 750-mile Oregon Coast Trail and the 170-mile Cohos in New Hampshire, still with the same pack. She uses that same ULA Circuit today.

There are a few reasons why this pack worked so well for Outro across the span of her thru-hiking career. First off, at 68 liters, the Circuit is a pretty spacious pack, capable of holding the too-much gear that first-time thru-hikers inevitably bring as well as the long water hauls along the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails. It has a minimal frame, just a suspension hoop and a metal frame stay, which Outro found comfortable up to 50 pounds, even though ULA only rates it for a maximum load of 35.

Outro’s favorite part of the ULA Circuit was how well made it was. Part of this is the construction of the pack, which is designed to minimize fail points (the only zippers are found at the hip belts). But what really stood out to her was ULA’s customer service. When, after thousands of miles, she sent it in to have the water-resistant membrane repaired, they offered to replace the whole pack for her for free. (She declined, as she has made a number of her own customizations over the years). In fact, she ended up going so deep into customization that Outro started making her own outdoor gear for sale.

Most Versatile: Six Moons Swift X with Flight Vest Harness

Key Features

• Weight: 40.2 ounces
• Max Load: 35 pounds
• Total Volume: 49 liters
• Bear Can Compatible: Yes
• Also available in Ultra

Pros

• Removable frame
• Generous size
• Plenty of pockets

Cons

• Takes some time to adjust to

When Jac “Top Shelf” Mitchell first tried the running vest shoulder-strap variation of the Six Moons Swift X, she wasn’t sure if it was for her. “I had to get used to how to adjust it for my body and then my body had to get used to carrying weight differently,” she said. “It’s a completely different shoulder strap setup.” These straps are thinner, wider, and unpadded, covering more of your chest than a typical shoulder strap. But that shape also means that they can support larger pockets.

At 49 liters, the Six Moons Swift X has a larger capacity than most other thru hiking backpacks. To give backpackers the option to give further support to the extra weight, it has a removable frame inside, which helps to channel weight down to the hip belt (although this also changes how the backpack carries on her back).

Best for Sweaty Hikers: Osprey Levity 45

Key Features

• Weight: 29.6 ounces
• Max Load: 20 pounds (Osprey); 30-35 pounds (Lunar assessment)
• Total Volume: 45 liters
• Bear Can Compatible: Yes, vertical only

Pros

• Great warranty
• Low weight
• Great ventilation

Cons

• Fragile

Reuben “Lunar” Stugart started his southbound Appalachian Trail hike in 2007 with the 80-liter Gregory Whitney, a seven-and-a-half-pound backpack. That’s not the backpack he’s using today—it’s not even the backpack he finished the AT with.

The next backpack he tried out was the 65-liter Osprey Atmos. “That one was great. I actually used that one all the way through the AT,” he said. Lunar used that same pack for the next 12 years, but when he finally replaced his Atmos, through Osprey’s warranty program, the pack had been redesigned and was almost double the weight it had been before. So he switched again, to the Osprey Levity.

For Lunar, the appeal of the Osprey packs is their back panel ventilation. “I don’t like being hot,” he said. “I get a lot of skin issues when I am too hot for extended periods, which is what you are doing when you’re backpacking.”

Not that he thinks the Levity is a perfect pack. “If you’re not careful with it, it tears pretty easily,” he said. “The materials that they use just do not stand up well to abrasion, and being dropped. But that’s how they got it so light.”

Best Large Capacity: ULA Catalyst

Key Features

• Weight: 44.4 ounces
• Max Load: 40 pounds (ULA recommendation)
• Total Volume: 75 liters
• Bear Can Compatible: Yes
• Also available in Ultra

Pros

• Can fit a bear can horizontal
• Spacious enough for extended seasons and even winter kits

Cons

• Heavier than other UL options available

Nicholas “Wandering Kiltsman” Cornett didn’t pause much in between his triple crown hikes (2019-2021). “I would just take a month off and just sit and eat ice cream and gain back the weight, because you lose a ton,” he told me. “Then I’d hike a short trail, like the Florida Trail (1,500 miles) and the Pinhoti Trail (335 miles). I’d take a month off a year, and I think that’s enough.”

While the Wandering Kiltsman started on the Appalachian Trail with the ULA Catalyst, he admits that that pack was probably more than he needed. “I was carrying way too much weight,” he said. “As we all do. I was carrying maybe 42 pounds in it.” He then switched to the ULA Ohm, a somewhat smaller, less supportive version of the Circuit, for the rest of that hike.

The Wandering Kiltsman ended up keeping the Catalyst in his arsenal for certain sections of the Continental Divide and Pacific Crest Trails. “If I was in a heavy snow section or a section where I needed to use a bear can I used the Catalyst,” he said.

Best for Winter: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Headwall

Key Features

• Weight: 41.6 ounces
• Max Load: 40 pounds (Hyperlite recommendation)
• Total Volume: 55 liters
• Bear Can Compatible: Yes

Pros

• Designed to hold typical winter backcountry gear
• Light enough for single-day trips

Cons

• Not a great pack for year-round use

Lunar uses Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs for his winter trips, as well as any trip that’s more gear intensive. “It’s designed as a mountaineering pack, so it handles that kind of stuff,” he said. While he doesn’t use HMG for his summertime thru-hiking (due to the lack of back panel ventilation and exterior storage pockets), it’s his go-to for treks in Alaska and other, more rugged locales. He does add some storage to the interior of the pack to compensate for its lack of pockets. So if you need the best thru hiking backpack for winter, check this one out.

Best Add-On: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Phone Pouch

Key Features

• Weight: 1.4 ounces
• Dimensions: 7 inches x 3.5 inches x 1.25 inches
• Water resistant

Pros

• Can be used on different backpacks (not just HMG)
• Easy to grab your phone and other small essentials on the go

Cons

• Somewhat expensive

Several of the long-distance hikers I spoke to had altered their pack in some way to better fit their needs. While some of these customizations were handmade, Lunar added the HMG phone pouch onto the shoulder strap of his Osprey Levity pack to more easily access it on the go. Given the number of roles that a smartphone plays in a typical ultralight backpackers kit — phone, maps, photos, music, satellite messenger texting — consider adding this pouch to your bag if it doesn’t already come with a dedicated spot for your phone on the front shoulder straps.

Things to Consider Before Buying One of the Best Thru Hiking Backpacks

The Rest of the Big 3

Your backpack, tent, and sleep system are considered the big three items for backpacking as they account for the most pounds in your base weight. It’s important to spend as much care on choosing one of the best backpacking tents and a top-notch sleep system, including one of the best backpacking sleeping pads and one of the best backpacking quilts, before heading out on your big trek.

Capacity

While small 35-liters packs are increasingly common, all the triple crowners I spoke to were using 40- to 45-liter packs, and sometimes models that were even larger. Of course, they noted that the size pack you need depends on the size of the rest of your gear. “The sleeping bag is what makes you need more volume inside the pack than anything,” Lunar said.

Customization

Outro remembers walking into the Saufley’s trail angel compound along the Pacific Crest Trail and having a lightning bolt moment. There were sewing machines there for hikers to fix their gear and she realized that she could alter her pack any which way she wanted to suit her. Her current modifications include a quiver for her hiking poles along the back, so that she can easily grab them without stopping. Multiple hikers also used trash compactor bags inside of their bag for additional water protection.

Ease of Access

For Lunar, being able to reach your gear when you need it is one of the most important features of an ultralight backpack. “I want my water to be not only accessible, but easily refillable,” he said. “I want to be able to get to my phone so I can bring it out quickly if I see a critter I want to capture.” He also likes a large outside pouch so that his gear is easily accessible, as well as pockets so that he can grab snacks on the go.

Hip Belts

While it’s becoming increasingly common for ultralight hikers to forgo hip belts entirely, Outro thinks that they are worth it for the longer, heavier carries that are inevitable on more remote long trails, as they help to transfer weight from your shoulders to your hips.

Be Willing to Experiment

One of the most striking things about talking to accomplished long-distance hikers is how varied their strategies are. “It’s figuring out what works for you,” said Lunar. “It’s your opinion. There are certain things that are true for a lot of people, but it’s not the same for everyone.”

“You fall in love with your first backpack,” said the Wandering Kiltsman. “But my first backpack was a Mountainsmith.” He went on to note that even though the cost of a single backpack might not seem exorbitant when you first start out, by the end of a hike like the Continental Divide Trail, the centrality of a quality backpack to the trail experience made those costs seem less significant once you’ve got thousands of miles under your belt.

Find Your Head Space

While the Triple Crowners I talked to could have gone on for hours about their gear, they were also adamant that there are virtually no wrong gear choices. “It’s all mentality,” said the Wandering Kiltsman, “So if you say ‘I’m going to finish,’ then you’re going to finish with a water bottle and your pocket stuffed with food.”

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Final Thoughts on the Best Thru Hiking Backpacks

We’re living in a golden age of ultralight gear—there is nearly endless innovation going on in the structure and materials out there, from the one-man cottage companies to REI mainstays. The challenge for backpackers is finding that just-right fit that can last for years. The best thru hiking backpack recommendations provided by the Triple Crowners and other elite backpackers provided here are a great place to start:

• Most Durable: ULA Circuit
• Most Versatile: Six Moons Swift X with Flight Vest Harness
• Best for Sweaty Hikers: Osprey Levity 45
• Best Large Capacity: ULA Catalyst
• Best for Winter: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Headwall
• Best Add-On: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Phone Pouch

The post Best Thru Hiking Backpacks of 2023 appeared first on Outdoor Life.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

By: Laura Lancaster
Title: Best Thru Hiking Backpacks of 2023
Sourced From: www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-thru-hiking-backpacks/
Published Date: Thu, 18 May 2023 15:38:39 +0000

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